Zither-action.



F. MENZENHAUER.

ZITHER ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-27.1916. 1,226,352. Patented May15,-1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ATTORNEYS F. MENZENHAUER.

ZITHER ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-27,1916.

1,226,352. Patented May15, 1911.

f I 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WW W 2 6/ 6/ 6/ 49 WITNESSES flung. 'w y gr h 2 '9 f. 5/ INVENTOR W 2 ATTORNEYS- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MENZENHAUER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

ZITHER-ACTION.

Application filed September 27, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK NIENZEN HAUER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Zither-Action, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to zithers and similar musical instruments provided with separate sets of melody and accompaniment strings.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved zither action more especially designed for playing with the left hand the accompaniment strings in a very simple, effective and accurate manner and with the desired gradation in the tone.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of a zither body having bass strings and sets of complementary chord strings, hammers arranged in pairs, one of the hammers of a pair being adapted to sound a bass string and the other hammer of the pair being adapted to simultaneously sound the complementary chord strings.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a zither pro vided with the improved zither action;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the zither action as applied and with parts broken out;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of the same; and

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

The body 10 of the stringed musical instrument is of box-like structure similar to the ones used in zithers, and on the said body 10 are mounted in the usual manner a set of melody strings 11, and accompaniment strings comprising bass strings 12, 13, 14 and 15 and complementary chord strings 16, 17 18 and 19, the accompaniment strings being spaced from the melody strings 11 at the left-hand side of the body 10, as plainly indicated in Fig. 1. The strings 12, 13, 14 and 15 are adapted to sound the notes C G F and D, respectively, and the chord strings 16 for the bass string 12 are adapted to sound the notes G C E, the chord strings 17 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Serial No. 122,362.

for the bass string 13 are adapted to sound the notes G B D, the chord strings 18 for the bass string 14 are adapted to sound the notes A C F, and the chord strings 19 for the bass string 15 are adapted to sound the notes F B D. It will be noticed that the bass strings 12, 13, 14 and 15 and the chord strings 16, 17, 18 and 19 are arranged in alternate relation with each other, that 1s, the bass string 12 and its chord strings 16 are arranged adjacent to each other, and the strings 17, 13; 18, 14; and 19, 15 are similarly arranged.

In order to sound the accompaniment strings 16, 12; 17, 13; 18, 14'; 19, 15 use is made of hammers 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 having non-flexible shanks and pivoted on a transverse rod 30 held in the brackets 31 attached to the top of the body 10 at opposite sides of the accompaniment strings. Each of the hammer shanks is provided with a rearward extension 32 pressed on by the free end of a flat spring 33 secured to a transverse plate 34 extending across the accompaniment strings and terminating in downwardly extending legs 35 fastened to the top of the body 10 at opposite sides of the accompaniment strings. It is understood that the brackets 31 and the plate 34 form the support for the zither action. By the ar rangement described, the hammers are held normally in a raised position, that is, are inclined upwardly and forwardly, as-plainly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. The hammers 20 to 27 are engaged at the top of their shanks and forward of their fulcrums by the free ends of keys 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47 fulcrumed at their rear ends on a cross rod 48 held in screw eyes 49 extending through the plate 34 and screwing in the top of the body 10. The free ends of the keys to 47 are each provided with a covering 50 I of soft rubber tubing or other suitable material so as to render the contact with the hammers practically noiseless. By reference to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noticed that when the hammers are in their normal uppermost positions then the keys 40 to 47 are slightly inclined upwardly and forwardly and are arranged side by side and somewhat spaced apart by suitable spacing washers 51 held on the pivot rod 48. By this arrangement the player can singly engage the keys with the fingers of the left hand and press the keys downward with a view to impart a downward swinging movement to the corresponding hammers so that the corresponding bass or chord strings are sounded. The hammers are spaced apart on their rod 30 by spacing washers 52 similar to the washers lVhen the pressure on a key is released the the latter as well as its hammer returns to the uppermost position by the action of th corresponding spring 83. The downward swinging movement of each key 4:0 to 17 is limited by the covering on the free end of each key striking against the top of stop bar riveted or otherwise attached to the brackets 31. The stop bar 60 is provided with cut-out portions (31 for the passage of the shanks of the hammers whenever a hammer swings into lowermost position on pressing the corresponding key. By reference to the dotted lines in Fig. 3, it will be noticed that when a key is pressed downward to its full extent, the corresponding covering 50 rests on top of the stop bar 60 with the shank of the corresponding ham mer in an approximately horizontal position and with the head of the hammer out of contact with the corresponding bass string or chord strings.

The upward or return swinging movement of the hammers 20 to 27 is limited by a stop strip 70, of felt or other suitable material, attached to the underside of slate 71 normally extending upwardly and forwardly and provided at its lower edge with trunnions 72 ournaled in arr s 73 fulcrumed 74: on the brackets 31. The arms 7 3 are provided rearward of their fulcrums 71 with transversely extending stop lugs 7 5 adapted to abut against the front edges of the brackets 31 to limit the upward swinging movement of the arms 73. The plate 71 is held in its forwardly and upwardly inclined normal position by the hammers and as only one hammer is, as rule, active at the time, it is evident that the r maining hammers hold the plate 71 in its normal position. By reference to Fig. 4: it will be noticed that the coverings 50 of the keys engage the under side of the pivotal end of the plate 71 to aid in holding the latter in normal posi tion.

The arms 73 can be swung downward by the user into a practically horizontal position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and in doing so the keys are swung downward and likewise the hammers 27 owing to the pivotal end of the plate 71 bearing on the free end of the keys and the latter bearing on the hammers. Thus for shipping or other purposes the keys and hammers as well as the plate 71 can be folded downward into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to permit convenient packing and ship ping of the instrument.

I The face of the plate 71. is marked with the letters of the alphabet denoting the corresponding bass strings and their complementary chord strings, and these characters are displayed along lines in register with the corresponding strings so that the player can readily see which one of the keys to press for sounding the corresponding bass note or chord.

In playing the accompaniment to any melody played by the performer sounding the melody strings 11, the player usually presses the corresponding key 41, 13, 15 or 17 for once sounding the corresponding bass strin 12, 18, 14: or 15, and after releasing this key the operator presses the next key to the right to sound the corresponding chord strings 10, 17, 18 or 19 preferably 7 twice in succession, to sound the correspomling chord strings with a view to produce the complementary chord twice. By this arrangement the playing of the accompaniment to any melody is simplified and the player is not liable to make mistakes as the keys for sounding the bass string and the complementary chord strings are arranged in pairs one alongside of the other.

It is understood that the brackets 31 and 35 with the crossbars 60 and 34; form the support for the action, and the support can be readily attached to the body 10 of the zither at the left-hand side thereof near the forward end to permit convenient reach of the keys with the left hand of the player without interference with the playing of the melody strings by the right hand.

It will also be noticed that the coverings 50 at the free ends of the keys 40 to 4:7 are wider than the cut-out portions 61, and hence when a key is pressed the hammer shank can readily pass into the cut-out portion 61 while the covering 50 comes to rest on the top of the stop bar 60.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A zither, comprising a body having strings, a support attached to the said body and provided with a stop bar having spaced notches on the top, spring-pressed han'imers pivoted on the said support, the hammers having rigid shanks ranging in the lirection of the length of the strings and passing into the said stop bar notches on sw' iging the hammers downward into lowermost position to sound the strings, and keys pivoted on the said support and having their free ends engaging the said hammer shanks immediately in front of the said hammers, the free ends of the keys being located above the stop bar and engaging the top of the said stop bar on pressing the keys to limit the downward swinging movement of the keys and to allow the hammers to swing farther down to sound the strings.

2. A Zither, comprising a body having strings, a support attached to the said body and provided with a stop bar having spaced notches on the top, spring-pressed hammers pivoted on the said support, the hammers having rigid shanks ranging in the direction of the length of the strings and passing into the said step bar notcheson swinging the hammers downward into lowermost position to sound the strings, keys pivoted on the said support and having their free ends engaging the said hammer shanks immediately in front of the said hammers, the free ends of the keys being located above the stop bar and engaging the top of the said stop bar on pressing the keys to limit the downward swinging movement of the keys and to allow the hammers to swing farther down to sound the strings, a plate having a felted stop strip for the free ends of the hammers to abut against when in uppermost position, and arms pivoted on the said support and on which the said stop plate is fulcrumed to swing up and down, the pivoted end of the stop plate extending directly above the free ends of the said keys to limit the upward swinging movement of the keys.

3. A zither, comprising a body having bass strings and sets of complementary chord strings, each set of chord strings being arranged adjacent the corresponding bass string, spring-pressed hammers, one for each bass string and one for each set of chord strings, the hammers having rigid shanks ranging in the direction of the length of the strings, the ends of the shanks being pivoted, pivoted keys engaging with their free ends the said shanks in advance of their fulcrums, and manually adjustable stopping and holding means located above the said hammers for stopping the return movement of the hammers, the said stopping and holding means being capable of holding the hammers depressed for shipping purposes.

4:. A zither, comprising a body having bass strings and sets of complementary chord strings, each set of chord strings being arranged adjacent the corresponding bass string, hammers, one for each bass string and one for each set of chord strings, each hammer having a rigid shank carrying a head at one end, each shank ranging lengthwise in the direction of the corre sponding string and above the same, and each shank being pivoted at its other end, the said pivoted end being provided with an extension, a spring for each hammer and pressing the said extension to normally hold the hammer in raised position above the string, and keys fulcrumed at one end and having their free ends engaging the hammer shanks in advance of their fulcrums.

A zither, comprising a body having accompaniment strings, a support attached to the body and having a stop bar extending across the top of the said accompaniment strings, a transverse rod on the said support extending across the top of the strings in the rear of the said stop bar, hammers fulcrumed on the said rod and adapted to sound the said accompaniment strings, the said hammers having rearward extensions, springs attached at one end to the said support and pressing with their free ends on the said hammer extensions to normally hold the hammers in raised position, and keys fulcrumed at their rear ends on the said support and extending forwardly, the forward ends of the keys engaging the said hammers in advance of their fulcrums; the forward ends of the keys being located above the said bar to engage the latter on pressing the keys to limit the downward swinging movement of the keys.

(3. A zither, comprising a body having accompaniment strings, a support attached to the body and having a stop bar extending across the top of the said accompaniment strings, a transverse rod on the said support extending across the top of the strings in the rear of the said stop bar, hammers fulcrumed on the said rod and adapted to sound the said accompaniment strings, the said hammers having rearward extensions, springs attached at one end to the said support and pressing with their free ends on the said hammer extensions to normally hold the hammers in raised position, keys fulcrumed at their rear ends on the said support and extending forwardly, the forward ends of the keys engaging the said hammers in advance of their fulcrums; the for ward ends of the keys being located above the said stop bar to engage the latter on pressing the keys to limit the downward swinging movement of the keys, a plate having a felted stop strip for the hammers to abut against when in uppermost position, and arms fulcrumed on the said support and on which the said plate is pivoted to allow of swinging the plate bodily downward to swing the hammers downward and to hold the hammers in lowermost position, the said plate when swung downward assuming an approximately horizontal position.

7. A zither, comprising a body having aecompaniment strings, a support attached to the body and having a stop bar extending across the top of the said accompaniment strings, a transverse rod on the said support extending across the top of the strings in the rear of the said step bar, hammers fulcrumed on the said rod and adapted to sound the said accompaniment strings, the said hammers having rearward extensions, springs attached at one end to the said support and pressing with their free ends on the said hammer extensions to normally hold the hammers in raised position, keys fulcrumed at their rear ends on the said support and extending forwardly, the forward ends of the keys engaging the said hammers in advance of their fiilerums; the tlorward ends of the keys being located above the said stop bar to engage the latter on pressing the keys to limit the downward swinging mo *ement of: the keys, a plate having a felted stop strip for the hammers to abut against when in uppermost positio arms 'fulerumed on the said support and on which the said plate is pivoted to allow of swinging the plate bodily downward to swing the 10 lugs formed on the said arms and adapted to engage the said support to limit the upward swlng'ing motion 01" the said arms.

FREDERICK MENZENHAUER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). (3. 

